The Concept of Self and the Other in Western Movies

Melodrama has been a part of the American life since colonial time. This genre, with its hero-villain or black and white development of characters, has formed the idea of the American heroes. In Western films, in which the local themes of westward movement on the American society are developed, melodrama treats the dichotomy of
hero-villain more stereotypically. The heroes depict the concept of the American self and the villains picture the other. However, the development of Western film shows that the stereotypical treatment on self and the other undergoes some changes.